Awake, my heart!

Awake, my heart! be singing

Author: Paul Gerhardt; Translator: J. Kelly (1867)
Published in 1 hymnal

Representative Text

Awake, my heart! be singing,
Praise to thy Maker bringing,
Of every good the Giver,
Who men protecteth ever.

As shades of night spread over
Earth as a pall did cover,
Then Satan sought to have me,
But God was near to save me.

When Satan would devour me,
Thou, Father! spreadest o’er me
Thy wing, Thou me embraced’st,
All fear away Thou chased’st.

Thou said’st “Lie still, I’m near thee;
In spite of him who’d tear thee,
Sleep, child! let nought affright thee,
The sunlight shall delight thee.”

Thou truly, Lord! hast told it,
The light—mine eyes behold it,
From dangers hast releas’d me,
Thou hast renew’d and bless’d me.

Thou sacrifice would’st ever,
My gifts I bring Thee hither,
The offerings I’m bringing
My pray’rs are and my singing.

Such Thou disdainest never,
The heart Thou can’st search ever,
Thou know’st none can deceive Thee
No better can I give Thee.

Thou wilt, O Lord! be ending
Thy work in me, and sending
Who in his hands will take me,
To-day his care will make me.

May I in all I’m doing
Wise courses be pursuing,
Beginning, middle, ending,
May all to bliss be tending.

Thy blessings richly give me,
My heart would now receive Thee,
Thy word as food be given
To me till I reach Heaven.

Paul Gerhardt’s Spiritual Songs, 1867

Author: Paul Gerhardt

Paul Gerhardt (b. Gräfenheinichen, Saxony, Germany, 1607; d. Lubben, Germany, 1676), famous author of Lutheran evangelical hymns, studied theology and hymnody at the University of Wittenberg and then was a tutor in Berlin, where he became friends with Johann Crüger. He served the Lutheran parish of Mittenwalde near Berlin (1651-1657) and the great St. Nicholas' Church in Berlin (1657-1666). Friederich William, the Calvinist elector, had issued an edict that forbade the various Protestant groups to fight each other. Although Gerhardt did not want strife between the churches, he refused to comply with the edict because he thought it opposed the Lutheran "Formula of Concord," which con­demned some Calvinist doctrines. Consequently, he was r… Go to person page >

Translator: J. Kelly

Kelly, John, was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, educated at Glasgow University, studied theology at Bonn, New College, Edinburgh, and the Theological College of the English Presbyterian Church (to which body he belongs) in London. He has ministered to congregations at Hebburn-on-Tyne and Streatham, and was Tract Editor of the Religious Tract Society. His translations of Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs were published in 1867. Every piece is given in full, and rendered in the metre of the originals. His Hymns of the Present Century from the German were published in 1886 by the Religious Tract Society. In these translations the metres of the originals have not always been followed, whilst some of the hymns have been abridged and others condens… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Awake, my heart! be singing
Title: Awake, my heart!
German Title: Wach auf, mein Herz! und singe
Author: Paul Gerhardt
Translator: J. Kelly (1867)
Meter: 7.7.7.7
Language: English
Publication Date: 1867
Copyright: This text is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before 1929.

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Text

Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs #59

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